Album Review :: Broncho - Just Enough Hip To Be Woman

Broncho

Just Enough Hip To Be Woman

December 8 2014 (Dine Alone Records)

7.5/10

Words: Richard O’Hagan

Long ago, before the internet was born, there was New Wave music, which brought us legendary bands such as Talking Heads, The Pretenders and The Cars. Then, in the early 1990s, we had the New Wave of New Wave, which brought us such eminently forgettable acts as S*M*A*S*H, These Animal Men and the like. Now, bravely trailing what is presumably the New Wave of the New Wave of New Wave banner, come Oklahoma’s Broncho, a three-piece who, fortunately, seem to have taken their influences from the original group of new wave bands rather than the latter bunch of losers.

Arguably the most important thing to remember about this album is not to be put off by what might be one of the worst titles given to a record in recent years. Get beyond that and you’ll be greeted with the warm fuzziness of opening track ‘What’, followed by the daft but catchy ‘do do do’ vocals of lead single ‘Class Historian’.

There’s a lot to like about Broncho. They have a formula – low key, often almost Mary Chain-esque, vocals, choppy and slightly scuzzy guitars, basic drum patterns – but they don’t stick to it too rigidly, not being afraid to mix things up when the mood takes them (see ‘Taj Mahal’). There are times when you do wish that you could hear a little more of Ryan Lindley’s vocal, but that’s also part of the attraction of one of the most promising debuts of 2014.